Which is cheapest, new head or new engine?

[Adammcf]

Ive suspected my head has been cracked for the last few weeks now as there were some mayo like deposits on the oil dipstick.
The water was always clean and it wasnt using any.
Now however, Ive topped it up with over a litre of water in the last hundred miles and although its not heating up even when sitting in traffic It looks like the head has cracked.

It would be great if its just the gasket but if it is a cracked head Im just wondering would it be much cheaper to just get a whole engine and swap it than to get a new/recon head?!

[Davenotouring]

This is the exact dilema I have right now.

My Sport has a cracked head (suspected but it 95% is)..

Can get a new engine for 2-300 quid yeah....So putting that in, in your own time is free....

A new head is between 100-150 for a non-tested one, up to 350 for a good un. Then you gotta do gaskets and all that....

It's up to you, and if you can do the work yourself. How many miles has the bottom end done, is it sound?

You buy a new engine, and the head could crack up the road you know, so it's a calculated risk either way.

Go for a new engine if you can get a low mileage one, or go for the head if you find a cheap one!

[M5pilot]

You wont know until you remove the head. Adam, yours has an Alpina sport pack on it in which case it could me a modded Alpina head.

This you will have to find out.

Dont assume the worst, check the HG first.

[Adammcf]

Yeah the bottom end etc seems ok and the engine is nice and quiet plus it should have the Alpina sports pack which is one reason why I wouldnt mind keeping it but Ive no idea where to get a decent head from and I dont fancy paying 4-500 then new gaskets and belts and head studs etc.
I'd give it a go myself as it looks like a relatively simple engine design and hopefully with a Bentley manual and a mate shouldnt be too difficult if we take our time.

I agree with what you say about the 2nd hand engine though. Who knows when it pops its head too plus the fact Ive no way of lifting the engines out. Hmmm.

Bloody German scrap! LOL

[M5pilot]

Remove the head, best way of knowing.

A leaking head gasket could well be the cause, you wont know until you do something.

get the head crack tested, even if its cracked get a bare head which is good and the only expense youll really have on top is the crack test.

If your engine other than that is fine dont bother getting another engine. How do you if its any good?

Plus all the hassle of changing the engine itself!

[m1key]

euro car parts do heads... complete head for about 500 or bare for 275 if i remember correctly. (exchange though??)

my head has gone too.

[Adammcf]

I checked them and they were over Ԛ£800 for the bare head after vat and you only got Ԛ£30 back when you sent back your old head. No chance Im paying that much.

[m1key]

Part No: 303110031 E30,E28 M20 NEW BARE CYL HEAD +E34 M20


Ԛ£460.00

??

[Adammcf]

Thats the 320 head part.
The 325 head is something similar but works out to be Ԛ£499.38 after vat.
I didnt fancy paying that much as then it will be another hundred or two for the other bits I'll need.